Trump Administration Launches ICE Crackdown in Illinois Amid Political Backlash
After weeks of pledging to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, the Trump administration announced on Monday that it had launched a major immigration crackdown in Illinois. The operation, led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is focused on undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in an online statement that “Operation Midway Blitz” was underway, but provided limited details on its scope. It remains unclear whether President Donald Trump will send National Guard forces to assist ICE in Chicago, as he has done in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Local Leaders Criticize Operation as Political Stunt
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said they received no advance notice from federal authorities. Both denounced the operation as a politically motivated stunt designed to intimidate immigrant communities.
Trump has escalated his rhetoric on deploying federal law enforcement and the National Guard in Democratic-led cities, framing the moves as part of a crime-fighting agenda. Local officials, however, point to falling homicide rates and argue that the operations are about politics, not public safety.
DHS Justifies Crackdown Over Sanctuary Laws
DHS defended the operation, arguing that Illinois’ sanctuary policies limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the crackdown targets “the worst of the worst,” including convicted gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers.
The department cited 11 cases of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico and Venezuela, who were released from local jails despite serious charges. ICE officials say those individuals should have been handed over to federal custody.
Community Impact and Allegations of Overreach
Chicago Alderwoman Jeylu Gutierrez, representing the heavily Hispanic 14th Ward, said at least five local residents were detained, including a flower vendor arrested while working. Others were taken into custody while waiting for public transportation or walking on the street.
“This isn’t about fighting crime, this is about terrorizing our communities,” Gutierrez said during a press conference.
Pritzker also criticized Trump’s threat to send National Guard troops, calling it a rehearsal for potential military involvement in future elections. Johnson raised concerns about “militarized immigration enforcement without due process,” citing ICE’s record of detaining U.S. citizens by mistake.
Trump Defends Actions, Expands Enforcement Nationwide
In a Truth Social post, Trump pointed to shootings and murders in Chicago and accused Pritzker of failing to seek federal help. “Only the criminals will be hurt,” he wrote, pledging rapid action to “stop the madness.”
Trump also shared a meme referencing the film Apocalypse Now, showing Chicago’s skyline engulfed in flames with helicopters overhead.
The Illinois crackdown comes alongside new ICE operations in Boston and Texas. Last month, ICE agents in Houston arrested more than 800 alleged criminal aliens and gang members in a week-long sweep. Earlier this year, nearly 1,500 immigration offenders were arrested in Massachusetts during a month-long operation.
On the same day as the Chicago announcement, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6–3 ruling allowing federal agents in California to conduct immigration raids based on race, ethnicity, language, or accent, even without reasonable suspicion of illegal status.
